Grace Fills the Empty Spaces

In her book Gravity and Grace,
the late Simone Weil wrote, “Grace fills empty spaces, but it can only
enter where there is a void to receive it.” With those words she
emphasizes a spirituality which for the most part has been only a
minority report in the Christian church. It is the spirituality of
weakness and emptiness.

It is no wonder that Jesus said, “God
blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him.” He said
this, not to glorify poverty, but to show that the only receptacle for
God’s grace is a vacant human heart. We all must become poor, in one way
or another, to receive what God has to give.

Somewhere along the line we simply lost
our Way, that being the Way of Jesus. He always taught and modeled an
inverted power, personal capability turned on its head. He never used
coercion, strong-arm tactics, or dirty ladder climbing to the top.
Rather, he descended to the bottom choosing the way of sacrifice,
service, and humility.

Yet, we who are Christian often march
forth to clutch for power and accomplishments as quickly as all others.
Our good old Protestant work ethic (Catholics work just as hard, by the
way) with a strong dose of entrepreneurship drives us to amass
everything from fortunes and followers to perfect attendance pins and
pats-on-the-back. We can become so full of ourselves that there is no
room left for anything else, not even the grace God longs to give.

Personal achievement should be rightly
celebrated, but it cannot be forgotten that egotism, pride, and ambition
are the real enemies of the gospel. Why? Because when our hands, heads,
and hearts are full, we are simply unable to accept what God offers.
“Grace fills empty spaces!” Or in the words of Leo Tolstoy, “Even the
strongest current of water cannot add a drop to a cup which is already
full.”

I remember the telling of an old story about
a scholar who climbed the mountain to meet the Zen Master face to face
and to learn from him. This scholar had an extensive academic
background. He had read and studied all the important texts and was a
wealth of knowledge and experience.

After making all the customary bows and introductions, the two sat together and the scholar began talking about all he had done and all he had studied. He talked about
all his endeavors and all he hoped to achieve in the future. The Master
listened carefully and patiently and began to brew tea for the two to
share.

When the tea was ready, the Master
brought it over and began pouring it in the scholar’s cup; and he kept
pouring, pouring, and pouring. It filled the cup, ran over into the
saucer, into the scholar’s lap and onto the floor! The scholar jumped up
shouting, “Stop! Stop! The cup is full and running over! You can’t get
any more in there!”

The Master stopped pouring and said: “You
are just like this cup. You are so full of yourself that nothing else
can get in! You come here asking to be taught, but I can teach you
nothing until your cup is empty.”

None of us will receive God’s good grace
or experience genuine transformation so long as we remain full of
ourselves. The gospel is completely unappealing – it is downright
repulsive – to those of us who feel that we can manage our lives with
our own abilities, resources, accomplishments, or on own terms. As long
as this self-reliance reigns supreme, the reign of God cannot take hold
in our lives.

No, it’s not what we’re often told, but
emptiness is not curse; it is the cure. Insufficiency is not the end; it
is the beginning. Admitting that our hands hold nothing is not a
liability; it is receptivity. And when we acknowledge that we have
nothing left, it is then we have found the most important thing of all:
The capacity and space to accept grace when it is offered to us.

Ronnie McBrayer is a syndicated
columnist, speaker, and author of multiple books. You can read
more and receive regular e-columns in your inbox at www.ronniemcbrayer.me.